Oaklawn Park President Louis Cella has been named 2020 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Sportsman of the Year for his actions to keep live racing ongoing at the Hot Springs, Ark., track when the COVID-19 pandemic caused many businesses, including most live sporting events, to halt in March 2020.
Tag: The Sport
2020’s Memorable Moments in Horse Racing
As challenging as 2020 has been due to the coronavirus pandemic, the hard work of many allowed horse racing to persevere, albeit with a shuffled calendar, and provide a welcome respite from life’s cares. Tom Pedulla recalls some of the year’s memorable moments:
Charlatan Romps in Runhappy Malibu Stakes Comeback
Charlatan showed no signs of rust in the $300,000, Grade 1 Runhappy Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park, making his first start since May 2 a winning one by overpowering five opponents en route to a 4 ½-length runaway victory.
Old Friends Farm a Decades-Long Journey for Michael Blowen
Michael Blowen glanced at the 1977 Sports Illustrated cover of Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew when it arrived in the mail and immediately discarded it. A horse on the cover of such a prominent magazine? “I thought thinking of them as athletes was absurd,” he said. Blowen, then a writer for the Boston Globe, accompanied Bob Taylor, one of his editors, to Suffolk Downs seven years later. The visit to the Massachusetts track was life-changing.
